A 135,000-pound Caterpillar excavator broke through the floor of a parking garage in Washington, Pennsylvania on March 12, 2026, falling 15 feet onto its side in a concrete pit during a demolition job, according to The Drive and Equipment World. Bill's Towing and Recovery brought in the Miller Industries Century M100 — the world's largest production rotator, with a 200,000-pound lift capacity — alongside a John Deere 470RR railroad recovery machine. After workers stabilized the ground beneath one track, the two machines coordinated to rotate the excavator upright. The excavator operator walked out of the incident uninjured. The M100 features a 48.5-foot reach and can elevate its hook to 53.4 feet.
Operator takeaway
This is what professional recovery looks like — a coordinated two-machine operation to upright 67 tons in a concrete pit, with the operator walking out on his own.